FAU OC Brian Wright isn't holding back in second year

BOCA RATON — Brian Wright is ready to unleash his full offense on the top level of college football — he just has some things he needs to work out first.

But that's what spring practice is for, and Wright, FAU's second-year offensive coordinator, is facing one of the same roadblocks he saw in his first year — he doesn't have a starting quarterback.

Wright came to FAU with an aggressive spread option offense, but he wasn't able to fully implement it under starting quarterback Graham Wilbert, who, while he proved to be an exceptional custodian of the football, was hardly fleet of foot.

With Wilbert gone, Wright is back at square one — but this time, he has a new option — and it's one that can run the option.

Transfer quarterback Jaquez Johnson took second-team snaps during FAU's Wednesday team session, but he was again looked sharp inside Wright's offense. The first-team snap taker, Stephen Curtis, was anything but sharp Wednesday during the same session. And while the second day of practice is far too early to declare a winner of Wright's second quarterback battle, the first two days of FAU spring practice has made it clear that there is strong competition for the starting spot the Curtis inherited upon Wilbert's departure from the team.

Wright isn't keen on wasting time in finding his starting quarterback. He said Wednesday that he's looking to take the FAU offense to "another level", and that starts with having an established starter.

"We have to be able to find a quarterback this spring," Wright said.

But Wright won't be looking over his notes from last year's quarterback battle between Wilbert and Curtis for help with this year's fight.

"I don't know that I learned anything different," said Wright of last year's controversy, which extended into the regular season. "It's going to be the guy that takes care of the football and makes the best decisions and can make plays."

Those plays should be a bit more complicated, too. Wright said he's excited by the level the team is playing at early in spring ball, and that he's keen to push the team deeper into the playbook as the practices progress.

"We've seen progress with our football team from a year ago this time," Wright said. "I feel good as a coach."

That means more option plays are on the way. Johnson, Curtis and third-stringer Melvin German are all classified as mobile quarterbacks — but it's Johnson that really has Wright excited.

"That's obviously what we're looking for, a guy that's the total package," Wright said. "[We're looking for] a guy that's tough and smart, that's accurate and also is athletic, and can give us some elements in the run game that we haven't had."

Wright watched all of Johnson's high school tape and noted that when Johnson's weight is down, his running ability increased. He's asked Johnson to cut weight during spring practice and he's excited by the early progress — but he's more excited for the end result.

"They didn't ask him to run much at East Mississippi, but you could see some things that make me think if we develop him and work him here, he could really help us."

FAU will practice again on Friday morning.

For more FAU coverage, follow me @dkurtenbach or like the Sun Sentinel's FAU athletics page on Facebook.